Over 20 years ago when I started with the idea that people might want to live in Manchester and Liverpool city centres most people thought I was mad (many of those have not changed their opinion in the last 20 years either).

Everyone said no one wants to live in inner cities mainly because they thought that no one else lived there and there wouldn’t be anywhere to buy a loaf of bread. Today we’ve seen a huge change with hundreds of thousands of people living in city centres.

In Manchester, areas that were once desolate at night are now full of life and people. And it seems on every street corned there’s a deli, a corner shop or supermarket (many open 24/7!).

However 20 years on, one thing that is still missing is good city centre primary schools. Manchester is quite a good place to live if you’ve got kids of high school age because its surrounded by great secondary schools and older kids can take empty buses heading out of the city against the rush hours. But its much more problematic for primary school kids.

Cities are richer for their diversity. The best cities are not only full of young people but also full of kids and grandparents. To most people its obvious that the biggest single driver for housing choice for people with younger kids is schools so if you want to help regenerate city centres – in particular, Manchester city centre, let’s call for a bit of joined up thinking and get some great primary schools open in it.

Unfortunately I’ve been shouting this same rhetoric for the last 20 years without much success, now however I think things are changing. In New Islington just north of the city centre, we hope to start a new free school in partnership with The Manchester Grammar School (one of the country’s leading academic school) and Manchester City Council. It will be free, open to all, but priority will be given to people living close by. Its part of the Government free school initiative. It will appeal to residents both in East Manchester and the centre.

I think that this would be a great addition to New Islington; we’ve already got flats and houses, a health centre, narrowboats, a water park and a great environment. Coming soon will be the Metrolink, dozens more family houses with gardens, a bridge link to Ancoats Urban Village and hopefully a new school.

To make this happen we need to tell the Government that there’s support for it. So, if you’re interested in sending your children here, click on this link to express your interest and show your support.

To read more about the New Islington School:
- Manchester Evening News
- BBC News
- Read the MGS press release